Mark English has produced an absolutely superb run at the Great North City Games in Newcastle this weekend, finishing second in a field including David Gillick's old sparring partner Martyn Rooney (a former European Champion), British hurdling star Jack Green - and double Olympic champion David Rudisha.
In making the semi-finals of the 800 metres at the Rio Olympics, English performed well considering he had only recently recovered from a broken foot. And in Newcastle he provided evidence that he is in flying shape as he finished only .22 seconds behind the great Rudisha with a time of 57.91 seconds.
English had said before the event that the Great City Games series brings "great exposure for the sport" while making the point that "it's also a bit more relatable to a wider audience - more people run on roads than on tracks".
Last year, English actually won the 500 metres event at the Great North City Games, with a time of 59.58 seconds. His improvement in time this year possibly shows the benefit of having someone like Rudisha as pacemaker - and the great man's handshake after the race perhaps indicated an acknowledgement of a dangerous rival ahead of Tokyo in four years' time (if he decides to compete).
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